ARMA 2 textures in Visitor 3

[Waterman]

What files exactly do I need to binarize?

[MemphisBelle]

I am totaly confused about the handling of A2 Textures, how does it work? Can I go the same way known of ArmA1 and get the same RVMAT (ArmA1) files together with the new ArmA2 Textures in one produktfolder like this: Islandname/Data/Texturename and its RVMAT file? Some better explanations about how to get it worked would be apriciated, would it also be possible to get an example here in this form, which represents how to get an Island ingame? I made such an example for ArmA1 and that helped many peoples.

[.kju [PvPscene]]

In terms of textures for worlds, the paa are just far better compressed.
Anything else - doesn't seem changed much, if at all.

Of course you have six layers / different colors per mask cell, as well as the midRangeTexture.

If your textures are tga, v3 should convert them correctly anyway.
If you already have paa, use pal2pace to convert them.

Very easy to do via command line:

Pal2PacE x:\Test\*.paa

Make sure to backup your paa first and this will overwrite the source files.

Just check the readme of tex view 2. It is all in there.


WRP and rvmat files should be binarized. BinPBO makes this a child's play,
as long as you have a proper P:\ setup.

Here is some advanced details on this topic:
CMB: DevelopmentSetup

And/or read Sy's tut.

More good info at the Community Modding Bible.

[Waterman]

I managed to fix all my problems I think now. Just need to do some tweeking.

Ingame picture of my island:



I started again from scratch.

Terrain grid size: 4096x4096
Terrain cell size (meters): 10
Terrain size (meters): 40960 x 40960

Then in satellite grid calulator:

Satellite Image
Image size (pixels): 20480
Image resolution (m/pixel): 2
Segment size (pixels): 512
Segment size (meters): 1024
Segment overlap (pixels): 16
Segment overlap (meters): 32

Satellite Grid
Calculated: 99.2
Proposed: 96

Segment overlap proposed: 32.0

Then in the texture layers dialogue, clicked "Base (active)" then "edit". Then changed texture size from 10.0x10.0 to 40.0x40.0. This is what solved the previous problem with placing objects and also made the satellite and mask images load a lot quicker. It might be what fixed the texture problem as well in the pictures I showed.

However it makes the detail textures too large ingame, so I think I need to make it 20.0x20.0 maybe or adjust the rvmat files or something.

I also pointed buldozer to load from buldozer.exe in the p:\ drive rather than arma2.exe

The road builder seems to work for me using the new road files too.

[.kju [PvPscene]]

Good to hear Waterman!

Cheers for the guide.

[MemphisBelle]

Hello guys,

I am still so much confused about the whole textures in A2, bcause I dont really understand what happens there

Is it still possible to use ArmA1 rvmats like that one in the same way as used in ArmA1?

ambient[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};
diffuse[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};
forcedDiffuse[] = {0.02,0.02,0.02,1};
specular[] = {0.0,0.0,0.0,0};
specularPower = 1; // specular interpolator must be enabled
emmisive[] = {0,0,0,0};

PixelShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuse";
VertexShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuseAlpha";

//surfaceInfo = "landtext\bumps.bisurf";

class Stage1
{ // normal map
  texture="MB_Testinsel\Data\pisek_detail_nohq.paa";
  uvSource="tex";
  class uvTransform
  {
    aside[] = {10,0,0};
    up[]    = {0,10,0};
    dir[]   = {0,0,10};
    pos[]   = {0,0,0};
   };
};

class Stage2
{
  texture="MB_Testinsel\Data\pisek_detail_co.paa";
  uvSource="tex";
  class uvTransform
  {
    aside[] = {10,0,0};
    up[]    = {0,10,0};
    dir[]   = {0,0,10};
    pos[]   = {0,0,0};
   };
};

In one thread, was it here?? I dont know, someone told somethings about stages he recieved after he used one of Kegeteys tools to open that rvmat, file. I did as same but honestly...what to do their? Isn´t it possible to give some more basic Information about handling with those things?...That would be pretty apriciated. All the things are more professional Stuff, so it´s hard or nearly impossible to reevaluate it if one hasnt´ some further information about this.

I also checked the ressources linked by kju. But most of the content is either not related to textures in Terrainediting or still incomplete stuff.

A short description would be nice and if it´s as same as for ArmA1 then a short note about this would help a lot.

Thanks...

Memphis

[Waterman]

I had to make my own rvmat files for Arma2 detail textures as I could not find any for Chernarus. I based them on previous ones.

Here is one I made for trava1 (grass) texture:

ambient[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};
diffuse[] = {0.9,0.9,0.9,1};
forcedDiffuse[] = {0.02,0.02,0.02,1};
specular[] = {0.0,0.0,0.0,0};
specularPower = 1; // specular interpolator must be enabled
emmisive[] = {0,0,0,0};

PixelShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuse";
VertexShaderID = "NormalMapDiffuseAlpha";

//surfaceInfo="landtext\bumps.bisurf";

class Stage1
{ // normal map
texture="Skye\Data\cr_trava1_detail_nopx.paa";  <-- Change this for different textures
uvSource="tex";
class uvTransform
{
aside[] = {10,0,0};
up[] = {0,10,0};
dir[] = {0,0,10};
pos[] = {0,0,0};
};
};

class Stage2
{
texture="Skye\Data\cr_trava1_detail_co.paa"; <-- Change this for different textures
uvSource="tex";
class uvTransform
{
aside[] = {10,0,0};
up[] = {0,10,0};
dir[] = {0,0,10};
pos[] = {0,0,0};
};
};

Make sure you change "Skye" to your own island folder in P:\ drive.

[MemphisBelle]

OK, that looks basically pretty good. Now I can get with my ArmA1 knowledge abot to paint my Island. Thanks Waterman and still good luck for your work.

regards

Memphis

[MemphisBelle]

Ehhmmm...if I may ask somethings again, hope you guys dont mind me...but why is the layered Terrain Surface Representation in the Wiki talking about a texture file called grass_lco.png defined in the layers.cfg, as shown here:

class Layers
{
  class Grass
  {
    texture="Tarrafal\data\grass_lco.paa";
    material="Tarrafal\data\grass.rvmat";
  };

although there´s not respective file included in the Data folder, even not in the extracted chernuarus_Data folder. For some reason this is pretty hard to see what´s happeneing there. It was so much easier in ArmA1, why is it that much complicate in A2. The stages thing is a further thing which is quite impossibe to get, what the heck does those files mean, where are they coming from? And basically do I need those files actually?

I think a sample map made by BIS would really be helpful.

I just gonna try to see whether the old layers.cfg file is still working...

[.kju [PvPscene]]

I don't really get what you mean. Currently all BIKI information is on ArmA I.

I suggest you to unpack all the relevant pbos for utes or chernarus and study
each part closely.
Use diff tools to figure out how config and rvmat files changed.